Hotspot using Paypal as billing?

[mkolbo]

Has anyone used Paypal as the billing system for the Hotspot feature? Is there a bundle or scripts out there that can be tied to a Radius server and have Paypal do the billing portion? I will like to see what options are out there for using the hotspot feature and the billing done by Paypal. Thanks.

Matt

[ddvzlnz]

The trick with getting info out of paypal is to use the IPN and link it to a database and then get the info in that database accessable to a radius server that starOS is listening to. You can also do an extract out of the database and format it into a flat radius file and upload that to the star-os boxen.

gt

[cal361]

This is actually fairly simple. If you have any sense of Perl at all you could use an existing PayPal IPN shopping cart to do this.

I was considering making such an application for StarOS because a local business manager started telling people that they could pull up in our parking lot and get wireless signal to get on the Internet for free.

Currently I have been lazy and not enforcing PPTP logins so people have been able to surf for "free" but only at 80k. Now that the word is out, maybe it's time to build that app and get these freeloaders to pay.

[powerhousewireless]

I would be interested in purchasing a ap that would support paypal and hotspot authentication

[hurley12]

I too would be willing to pay for an ap that would do paypal and star-os hotspots

[ddvzlnz]

Good news: You will be happy to know that I have such an app that works with star-os, does real time paypal authentication via IPN, and uses both paypal's new simple credit card purchase (no need to join paypal) and paypal subscriptions (need to join paypal). Additionally it has a working affiliate application that can be used with the main app. It is all web based.

Bad News: I created this for myself and not as a product.

Good News: It won't take too much work to "clean up and productize" I've been using it in production for 14 months now.

Please drop me a line if you are interested and I'll arrange a demo and can get your input on requirements.

Thanks
GT

[tbutcher]

Great can you send me a link.

[georgew]

there is a nice commercial ISP billing package that I am starting to use. It is extensible, runs under mac, windoz, linux, (I'm running it on a mac so that I can use a commercially supported unix system, I really don't like linux very much).

Optigold ISP from digitalpoint.com.

This is a complete commercial product with support. It is complete enough to be the only management software you run. You can even teach it to do provisioning. It is the most complete ISP management system I have seen for less than $40,000. In fact, it's the cheapest system I have purchased. I have purchased LPAC, Rodopi, billmax and Optigold. I have also done trials with 3 or 4 others.

Most of the accounting systems must be paid for again and again, as the anual support fees are nearly the same as buying it new. Optigold has free upgrades, and they only charge for support if you want phone support... and phone support is cheap compared to everyone else. Email support is free for life. Optigold has the lowest cost of ownership of everything I have tested, and the few things that are cheaper are crap.

This system will interface with Paypal, as well as
Authorize.Net
VeriSign Payflow Pro
Cardservice LinkPoint
ECHO
Bank of America eStores
Planet Payment
PSiGate
DirectOne
SurePay
BluePay
Iongate
EFSNet
ACH Direct
Select Check
DataCash
eMatters
eProcessingNetwork
PC Authorize
PC Authorize Hub
MacAuthorize
MacAuthorize Hub
WebAuthorize
GoChargeIt eTerminal
Royal Bank e-SELECT
ViaKlix
Netlix
PayPal
WorldPay
ICVerify
Cybercash
Telecheck
PTC
Cardservice
Cardservice DOS
PC Charge
PC Batch
EZ Charge
TD Canada
Bank Of Montreal
PayPro
eFunds
NACHA
VisaNet
NBDS
Custom

Now you can pay for a home-grown solution, but don't pay more than about $50.... There are plenty of free ISP billing systems out there that are professionally developed and tested a lot better than something home-grown. I have home-grown stuff too, but I would never try to push it off as commercial software.

[ddvzlnz]

" I have home-grown stuff too, but I would never try to push it off as commercial software. "

1. How would a reasonable person come to the conclusion that I'm trying to push it off as commercial software? I think I gave a very reasonable description of the software.

2. Most of it (all the parts that matter) is written by proffesional programmers that I've hired. In their day jobs they are both full time programmers for fortune 100 companies and have over 12 years experience each. I've known them both since 1998 and have used them many times.

3. All of the shrink wrap solutions above requires some assembly, this is tailored to Star-OS.


Custom does not equal home grown.

GT

[tbutcher]

George,

I have also been testing Optigold and have been very impressed. What radius server are you using with the system?

Tim

[georgew]

I'm not actually using it for radius yet... But then I'm not the one that set it up either, I only use it for billing. Now my partner is in charge of radius, and I understand he is going with free radius. However we don't have the new radius servers in production yet. Our current radius servers are old AIX machines running something that is 8 years old.... I think a version of the Merit server.... it's old, and it is integrated with our home-grown accounting system.

I think the plan is to get free radius to serve the old data, and accept provisioning from OptiGold. Once all users are moved over, we will delete the double users from the old data, and then figure out why we have anyone left... eventually we will have no old data, and everything will come out of OptiGold.

[Ryan]

Please send me an email if you would on how someone may look into purchasing your hotspot paypal software.. ryan@vegaswifi.net

[Ultanium]

I would be willing to pay $50 for some scripts to do Hotspot billing via Paypal, please send info to ultanium@hotpop.c0m Just change the "0" to an "o" in .com, I hate spam!

Ult

[dbentley]

Good news: You will be happy to know that I have such an app that works with star-os, does real time paypal authentication via IPN, and uses both paypal's new simple credit card purchase (no need to join paypal) and paypal subscriptions (need to join paypal). Additionally it has a working affiliate application that can be used with the main app. It is all web based.

Bad News: I created this for myself and not as a product.

Good News: It won't take too much work to "clean up and productize" I've been using it in production for 14 months now.

Please drop me a line if you are interested and I'll arrange a demo and can get your input on requirements.

Thanks
GT

Would it be possible to get a demo of your app? If so, shoot me an email at:
darren at bcgroup dot net